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You Take It From Here

by Pamela Ribon (Goodreads Author)

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 343 ratings · 100 reviews

Just because you’d give your best friend everything doesn’t mean she has to take it. On the heels of a divorce, all Danielle Meyers wants is her annual vacation with sassy, life-long best friend, Smidge—complete with umbrella cocktails by an infinity pool—but instead she’s hit with the curveball of a lifetime. Smidge takes Danielle to the middle of nowhere to reveal a dia...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published July 3rd 2012 by Gallery Books

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Books That Spill The Tears

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Women's Fiction 2012

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Aug 14, 2012 Jessica Buike rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took me a while to get used to the strange narrative style, a mixture of personal letter, journal entry, and episodes. But the story resonates and is such a beautiful expression of friendship that it won me over once I got the knack of reading the different style. The characters had a ton of depth, so much that you can practically hold conversations with them. Just a beautiful piece of work overall and it is much recommended for any gal who has a best friend.

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May 14, 2012 Allison Lowe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Prepare to laugh, cry and throw things. In all the best ways.

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Jul 10, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't care if the book's summary tells me that someone is going to die at the end of the book, I'm still going to be a giant puddle of sobbing that's going to take me 10 minutes to get under control.

I've adored Pamela Ribon's writing since her first book "Why Girls Are Weird", which I've read many times over the years and I love it at 31 as much as I did when I was 23. I still read her blog and get excited when she comes out with new pieces, whether it be a novel or a new blog post that pops u...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't know what to expect with this book. I read other reviews and thought it would be a great chick lit. I found it had pros and cons and liked it enough but fell short of loving it.

Smidge, Dani's best friend has lung cancer again and she is going to die. Here is my first issue. It is contrived to elicit tears when Smidge will die. In the meantime, Smidge wants to teach Dani how to be Smidge so she can continue raising her daughter and be a companion to Henry, Smidge's husband.

The second iss...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 12, 2012 Diane Shipley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was utterly absorbed in this novel and the lives of its characters, not wanting it to end, yet eager to read more. It's a tribute to female friendship, a reminder to make the most of what we have, and a witty, well-paced, ultimately heart-wrenching read that will stay with me for a long time. Recommended, y'all.

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Aug 18, 2012 Poorani rated it 3 of 5 stars

So, I wanted to love this book. I love Pamie's blog, have really enjoyed her previous books, and I won this book through a contest right here on Goodreads.

But, I didn't.

The writing itself is stellar -- the characters are beautifully drawn as are the settings -- LA and small town Texas. The scenes are full of energy. But, I just couldn't get behind the story. The plot was too pat in a way. A lady dying of cancer asks her friend to take over her life. An intriguing premise, but that's it -- it's...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

As always, Pamela Ribon's writing is very funny and poignant here, but I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I did her previous novel, Going in Circles. I know that Pamie drew on real life experience for this book, just as she did for Going in Circles, but for some reason this book doesn't feel as real to me, which is funny because I've never been through a divorce or even a big break-up, but I have lost a grandmother to a debilitating lung disease.

I know that Smidge is supposed to be a frus...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-read, 2012-reviews

This book needs to come with a warning because I was crying so hard at the end of it! I have a love/hate relationship with books like this. I loved it because it was so well-written that I felt like I actually was friends with Danny and Smidge. I hated it because it was so freaking sad, I hate being sad!

Okay, I didn’t really hate it, but it really did affect me. How would you live your life if you knew it would be over soon? Smidge had a clear plan, but that plan did not include telling her fami...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, chick-lit

When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued by the premise. Would Danielle want to or be able to step into Smidge's shoes? I had to find out. (Don't worry, I won't spoil it for you.)

Smidge turned out to be a pretty unlikeable woman. She was bossy, rude, and presumptuous. I had a hard time understanding why Danielle was friends with her at all. Their relationship was definitely codependent. I found it to be authentic though; I know women who have friendships very similar to Danielle and S...more

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Jul 09, 2012 laaaaames rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book OK. (Clearly by my opening statement you can tell I am a professional critic who takes reviews very seriously.) Ribon's voice is irrepressibly engaging/relatable/distinct. She's also utterly fantastic at capturing real dynamics: not just the bestfriendship at the core of this novel but everything offshooting from it as well.

I struggled somewhat with the book (though not too much because I seriously stayed up past my "bedtime" (I'm an adult so a "bedtime" is more of a hypotheti...more

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May 21, 2013 Umarani rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2013

I don't like Smidge. I really don't. I guess I am supposed to feel sorry for her and understand her major character flaws is exaggerated due to her fear of dying but I don't.

Danielle is so weak, she made me physically shake my book while pretending it was her. I get that they have a deep friendship and she feels a deep gratitude to Smidge for taking over her life and filling in a motherly role for her but she really does not develop a backbone at all.

I kept reading in hopes for the moment that...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are certain moments you don’t want to relive. They’re filed away in your memory under “DO NOT OPEN” but ofcourse who can resist those letters time and again, needing in fact to go back there once again. You’d think in time the pain would have faded, it hasn’t, it’s just a different type of pain. For me that memory is hearing “we put a frozen section under a microscope and you have cancer.” But the pain was never about me. I had known. I wasn’t under any illusions about what I was sick with...more There are certain moments you don’t want to relive. They’re filed away in your memory under “DO NOT OPEN” but ofcourse who can resist those letters time and again, needing in fact to go back there once again. You’d think in time the pain would have faded, it hasn’t, it’s just a different type of pain. For me that memory is hearing “we put a frozen section under a microscope and you have cancer.” But the pain was never about me. I had known. I wasn’t under any illusions about what I was sick with it was having to tell my parents who were staring at my expectedly, as if there was a miracle and everything could be explained away by something other than cancer. It was having to sit there with them each holding my hand as my doctor told me how very sick I was. It was knowing that my father was in the waiting room collapsing in on himself hearing that his baby girl, his only daughter, his first born, may die before she turns 24.

Why am I telling you this in a book review? Because that’s the part of cancer that Pamela Ribon got so painfully right that I’m sitting here my eyes swimming in tears and remembering. Being sick sucks, I’m not lying about that. But it’s so much harder for the people around you, because even though you are sick with this disease that seems to come out of nowhere like a ninja, everyone gets to see you sick. It’s hard for them to remember you NOT sick, sort of like how when you’re nauseous you can’t remember what it’s like to NOT be nauseous . Which is why I empathized with Smidge. Forces of nature do not want to be remembered in any other way. They’d rather go out in a blaze of glory on their own terms, than by this disease that was not invited to the party.

Smidge will annoy you. She will frustrate you, make you bang your head against a wall and be like "what in the hell is this woman doing?" Dani will do the same but for different reasons. But eventually you'll get it. You'll get them. You'll get their friendship in its function, dysfunction and how they ultimately are each other's soulmates. You'll understand Smidge's request-not logically ofcourse. But nothing about this type of deep friendship is LOGICAL because if it was it wouldn't be what it is. Beautiful, wrenching and sure co dependent. But sometimes you're lucky enough to find a friend who is really so much a part of you that when they're hurting you're hurting and most of their joys are yours simply because you want nothing but happiness for them. This book was far less about cancer and far less about some odd request to fulfill a best friend's dying wish and more about how who we are are shaped by our choices and the people who we place stock in. That person who you view yourself through and the only person that really matters.

It'll break your heart this book. Don't let anyone tell you it's not going to. Be prepared to find yourself ugly crying. But don't shy away from it because of the pain that it may open in you. Hiding from that pain does no one any good. That pain is how we remember. How we honor. How we find ways to connect back to the world. Hug your best friend if you're close enough to do so. Call her. RIGHT NOW. Plan an unexpected trip to nowhere and watch The Notebook and cry and eat cheese fries.
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Jul 12, 2012 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much that I have anxiously been awaiting the chance to even sit down and write a review of it. I've enjoyed Ribon's previous three books, but I definitely think this one is my favorite.

Before I get into the review indulge me in a metaphorical tangent about why I liked this book. This book can be classified as women's fiction, which is generally an indication to me that I should avoid it as far too often I find that it means I'm getting a romance novel or so-called "chick li...more I loved this book so much that I have anxiously been awaiting the chance to even sit down and write a review of it. I've enjoyed Ribon's previous three books, but I definitely think this one is my favorite.

Before I get into the review indulge me in a metaphorical tangent about why I liked this book. This book can be classified as women's fiction, which is generally an indication to me that I should avoid it as far too often I find that it means I'm getting a romance novel or so-called "chick lit". I've never cared about romance novels in which the whole story revolves around a girl getting a guy. It's just not my thing. The only romance novels I read are the ones written by my mother. Filial obligation and all that. "Chick lit" books seem to either be about girls mooning ridiculously over guys and shopping like in Bridget Jones or spineless girls who can't stand up to horrible bosses/friends like in The Nanny Diaries or The Devil Wears Prada. Either way they make me feel stabby. None of this is to condone people who enjoy these books, they're just not my bag. I do however enjoy a good romantic comedy movie. I only bring this up because my mother doesn't understand how I can hate romance novels and chick lit but like romantic comedies. I'm not sure I have a good explanation, but I can tell you that You Take It from Here, despite not actually being a romantic comedy, pushes all the same buttons for me.

You Take It from Here is not a high work of literature, but it is completely satisfying. I liken it to the Dairy Queen ice cream cone I insisted on getting for dessert following the fancy pants meal at the restaurant where I got engaged. The meal was reading a Pulitzer Prize winning novel while You Take It from Here is the equally as satisfying but for completely different reasons DQ dessert.

The story (hey look at that I'm finally actually going to talk about the book for real) revolves around long time best friends Danielle (whose name I have a surprisingly hard time remembering given that it's my own) and Smidge. When Danielle returns home to Louisiana from LA for the annual trip she and Smidge take together she finds out that Smidge has terminal lung cancer and would like Danielle to take over her life, raising her teenage daughter and marrying her husband after she dies. The book is written as a letter to Smidge's daughter Jenny detailing the decisions Danielle made to try and honor what might be her best friend's final wish, which I thought was a lovely detail.

It's a wonderful story about friendship and family. There were some scenes that were so realistic that they almost took my breath away. The characters in this book felt so real that even a week and half after reading it I can't stop thinking about what is happening to them. I definitely didn't always agree with the things they did or the way they acted to the point that I wanted to slap both of them at various points, but the characters are so well written that even when their behavior bordered on outlandish I was still able to find it believable. I initially wasn't entirely happy with the ending because I wanted to know more about what happened to the characters, but I got over that very quickly and decided it was in fact the perfect ending to the story.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. Go read it now. You won't regret it. (less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, chick-lit

While this book has nothing in common plotwise with Bridesmaids, that's what this book reminded me of, probably because it was focused on female friendship, a topic not frequently portrayed in fiction, especially this well. There are elements of romance, but those relationships are not the ones that drive this book, and while it's not a straight comedy like Bridesmaids, Pamela Ribon generally amuses me with her descriptions of people and situations. I've liked other books by the author that I've...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Krystyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Pam's writing is crisp and fluid, at the same time. She manages to describe someone's life in rounded, full anecdotes and silly inside jokes, and yet simultaneously lie by omission in the way that humans do. She is adept and smart at writing about how people acquire tunnel vision in times of strife.

That said, I spent most of the book just haaaaating Smidge. I felt uncomfortably as if I were being cast as Parrot Necklace - teeth stained with wine - hanging about uncomfortably in the doorway of a...more Pam's writing is crisp and fluid, at the same time. She manages to describe someone's life in rounded, full anecdotes and silly inside jokes, and yet simultaneously lie by omission in the way that humans do. She is adept and smart at writing about how people acquire tunnel vision in times of strife.

That said, I spent most of the book just haaaaating Smidge. I felt uncomfortably as if I were being cast as Parrot Necklace - teeth stained with wine - hanging about uncomfortably in the doorway of a scene, hoping I'd get to see the shit hit the fan ... any ... minute ... now.

And it took a long time for things to crack and break, because Smidge's charisma is strong enough to keep her meanness framed in something that could be mistaken as love, it keeps the controlling and manipulative behavior under a rosy spotlight of charitable interest. And I saw right through it, felt the prickly heat of people I have known like this. I think about how quickly those types have been cut out of my life. Smidge made me fume. I wanted to shake Danielle to her senses.

To be honest, once Tucker called Danielle out for her co-dependency, I was cheering him on (even knowing what Tucker didn't), and, personally, feeling absolutely zero wonder at the dearth of close female friends in my own life, over the years. If we (females) have been taught to be this way? If we've been encouraged to tear each other down and play with loyalties like chess pieces? Well, you can count me right out -- I'll be in the garage hiding with Henry and Tucker, drinking beer. I found both Danielle's and Smidge's behavior co-dependent and sort of horrifying.

I didn't believe that Danielle would even consider Smidge's plan, but somehow she did. The resulting compromise was believable, however, from the dissolution of D's business in L.A. right on down to Henry putting his arm around her shoulders. I did find Smidge's decline and passing emotionally moving and compelling enough to see through to the end.

The conceit of structuring the book as a long-ass letter to Smidge's daughter made sense as an idea, but confused me sometimes as I continued to read - there were simply too many turns of phrase and prosaic elements to keep the narrative firmly in letter form. In the end, I had to decide to ignore the cognitive dissonance of that structure, and thankfully it didn't harm the story at all.

Pamela's writing shows great humor, cleverness, and warmth. This is a solid read, and will likely have you turning pages long past your bedtime.

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Sep 05, 2012 Stephanie Grober rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've followed Pamela Ribon (of Pamie.com fame) since waaay before Why Girls Are Weird was released. However, WGAW was the only book of hers I'd read in all that time. I won a copy of YTIFH from a 'best friends' contest on the author's blog, and I'm so happy I did. I wrote a story about my best friend to win the book, and then laughed and cried while I read this book about best friends. Emphasis on cried--I think the waterworks started by page 25. Overall, it was still a quick and enjoyable read....more

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Aug 06, 2012 Katie H rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

For 14 years I have been reading Ribon's words wherever they were made available to me: blogs, reviews, books, tweets. I've looked at her flickr photos, watched her vlog, watched her episodes come to life. When I found out she had a new book coming out, I pre-ordered it without even reading the synopsis because I knew I'd love it

Well. I was wrong. I hated every second of it. And, yet, You Take It From Here is probably the best book I've ever read. Hands down.

The week I started reading, two of my...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh, I loved this book. It even surpasses “Going in Circles” as my fave Ribon book, and I really loved that book, too.

In a nutshell, the plot revolves around Danny/Danielle and Smidge. They’re lifelong, “I’d do anything for you” best friends. That friendship is tested when Smidge, suffering from terminal cancer, asks Danny to take over her life when she dies. That is, take over everything – marry her husband, raise her daughter, and basically fill the Smidge-filled void when she goes.

Reading that...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was prepared to write this Book Club selection off, based on the awful chick-lit cover, but I actually kinda liked it. Maybe it's because I was mourning the departure of my own best friend back to the foreign land of Chicago, but I even cried in the end. Ever so slightly!

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Jun 26, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to win this book on Goodreads before it was available for sale. I'm not going to go into the plot because it has already been done on other reviews. So I'm basically going to write about how I liked it or not. It took me a little while to get over the narrative in the book. It was like reading a huge 300+ page letter. I had a hard time getting into it, and then at some point I had a hard time putting it down. The only thing that really bothered me was how the main character Sm...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Jeremy Preacher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

Pamie is the only person on the planet who can get me to actually read something best described as "chick lit." Worse, she usually manages to make me like it.

The premise of You Take It From Here is nuts, and it stays nuts almost all the way to the end. I can't describe if it's intentionally about a tremendously toxic, co-dependent relationship, or if Ribon just likes bossy women even more than I do. But the characters are deftly described, and everything they do makes perfect sense for them, tha...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Jessica Brettle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic book about friendship that asks the reader "how far will you go for a friend?" The characters in the book are quite lovable and I really enjoyed the fact that it took place in the South. It was very fun to read and very engaging...I think it is definitely a book to pass along to all of your girlfriends. I am sure I will be passing this on to someone else...

The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because this book is also about cancer. For some reason, cancer books bothe...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

In this novel, the main character's best friend tells her that she is dying of cancer, and that when she dies, she wants her to take over her life - marry her husband and raise her daughter. It's written in a light way, but with real emotional depth. Despite the character with cancer being somewhat unlikable, the book was just totally compelling to me and I couldn't put it down. And I cried so much at the end that my husband said to me "You know it's a novel you're reading and these are fictiona...more

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May 18, 2013 Ally rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading this book, I can still count on one hand the number of times I've cried while reading a book, but that number just shrunk by one. Damn you, Pamie! (and thanks)

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Jul 23, 2012 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book made me cry. Definitely Ribon's best work so far.

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Jul 03, 2012 The Readers Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-amy

I will admit, right up front, that I went into this book fully expecting to hate it. To me it sounded like Wife Swap meets The Make A Wish Foundation and it just seemed like it was going to be a train wreck I couldn't look away from. I was deliriously giddy to read it so that I could rip it to shreds.

Alas, I didn't hate this book. I really ended up liking it. It started out a little rough for me, but I expect that's mostly because I went into it with preconceived ideas of not liking it based on...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Roxane rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a good book and I enjoyed it but the book's premise relies on the power of the friendship between Danielle and Smidge but Smidge is so unlikable it's hard to believe anyone would be as devoted to her as the people in her life are. It's not that Smidge is bossy. We all have "that friend" It's that she is written in such a one-sided manner. We do not see enough of whatever it is that makes people love her so then we're supposed to believe that Danny is going to make this huge sacrifice for...more

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Aug 07, 2012 lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, mine-mine-mine

this is like a nicholas sparks book but about best friends and also awesome!

i have a lot of feelings. and i literally just finished this book, wiped off my tears, and pulled out my laptop, so bear with me.

pam writes friendships SO WELL. there's a bit at the end, where danny is telling jenny to make sure her best friend knows she isn't giving her away at her wedding, that best friends will be best friends despite marriages and everything else. it just killed me. I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT PLA...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well written and would give the author another try, but one of the two main characters was so unlikable that it put me off the whole book. Story about 2 best friends, one who is intensely bossy, rude and obnoxious, but somehow this other woman and in fact an entire town love her to pieces. The other friend is such an door mat and NEVER stands up for herself, even at the end she forgoes her own happiness for her a**hole friend. I couldn't connect with the characters. Maybe others won't be as off...more

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About Pamela Ribon

Pamela Ribon’s fourth novel, YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE, will be released this July through Gallery Books. Pamela is a TV writer and best-selling novelist (WHY GIRLS ARE WEIRD, WHY MOMS ARE WEIRD, GOING IN CIRCLES). She’s been in comedy rooms for both network and cable television, most notably the Emmy award-winning Samantha Who?. Pamela has adapted her popular novels for both film and television, and...more

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Quotes from You Take It From Here

“There's never the right last moment. Even if you get to say good-bye, even if you get to say "I love you", even if you jump off a plane and get a tattoo and hug everyone you've ever met right before you drift off with a smile, it is never the right last moment. There is always more to say, somewhere to go, something to remember. Another discussion, another fight. There is always supposed to be another day.” — 1 person liked it

“We will do anything to get away from our own pain. We will change our lives, rip people out, swallow a bottle of life-ending pills. When we hurt more than we can bear, when our lives get that dark, it's shocking what we will do to protect ourselves.” — 1 person liked it

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